Training and Development

Whatever your organization’s goals, we can design and develop customized training to help you reach those goals, all within your budget. Our training design process focuses on enhancing performance and our approach is customized for each client. We’ll begin with a thorough needs assessment and then determine the appropriate strategy, including:

Instructor-led workshops and programs

Self-study guides

E-learning modules and storyboards

Blended learning solutions

We use well-established instructional design techniques with every project. If you just want to improve what you have, we can review your existing training and offer strategies to increase its effectiveness.

Testimonial

“We were very pleased with the quality of Karen’s writing and her ability to work with a group of stakeholders with various opinions. I would hire her again if I had the opportunity.” – Elizabeth A. Gardner Grants Manager, Minnesota Department of Health, Infant and Women’s Health Unit

Case Studies

Training Case Study

The Situation

A large nonprofit, community-based outpatient chemical health program needed a structured, cohesive curriculum for its counselors to use with their clients. While program counselors provided clients with programming, it lacked consistency and had not been specifically designed to address the needs of the target population: low income individuals who had attended numerous treatment facilities.

The Solution

DeYoung Consulting Services developed a comprehensive relapse prevention curriculum for use with individuals who are in treatment for chemical dependency. In researching curriculum content, we conducted best practices research, looking at articles and models used by similarly charged organizations. We also gathered information from staff members via focus groups and interviews. Then, using sound instructional design principles, we created an engaging, comprehensive instructor-led training program.

The Results

A high-quality, targeted training program increased counselor confidence and overall program consistency. Counselors indicated that they felt much more prepared for interacting with clients.

Organizational Development Case Study

The Situation

A state agency’s training team had grown rapidly over the previous year, and there was some tension between new and longer-term team members. The team’s supervisor requested a series of team building efforts intended to create a more cohesive and effective training team.

The Solution

DeYoung Consulting Services conducted a needs assessment of the training team to identify areas of strength, as well as challenges to be addressed. The needs assessment design involved a combination of reviewing pertinent documentation and conducting interviews with team leaders and staff. The assessment explored their understanding of team goals, the respective roles of team members and any overlap between them, as well as communication with leadership and fellow team members.

The assessment indicated that there was no clear definition of roles for training team members and some staff felt left out of the communication loop, particularly the newcomers. We conducted a series of two-hour team building workshops to addresses these needs.

The Results

Team members created a team metaphor: Climbing Mt. Everest. The metaphor was a representation of them all joining together to reach the top. Team roles, along with individuals’ desired areas of growth, were clarified and the team supervisor later indicated that team cohesion was increased.